1
On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was struck twice with two bullets as
the presidential motorcade rolled through Dealy Plaza in Dallas, Texas. The governor at the time,
John Connally, was also hit, as he was in the seat in front of JFK. President Kennedy was fatally
wounded by the second shot which hit him in the back of his head. The plaza immediately
erupted into chaos. Abraham Zapruder captured the entire assassination along with several
others. The primary suspect, Lee Harvey Oswald, was apprehended an hour later. He never made
it to trial, as he was shot two days later. This is one of the most devastating crimes to take place
on US soil. Given the magnitude of it, it is difficult for many to believe Oswald acted alone. If
you take all of the evidence into account, it seems clear that Oswald indeed was the lone shooter.
Lee Harvey Oswald was not an ordinary citizen. Oswald was an ex-marine and a Marxist
to the extent he defected to Russia. As a child, Oswald was observed by a psychiatrist. The
psychiatrist stated he displayed passive-aggressive tendencies. He eventually dropped out to join
the marines. On the mandatory shooting tests, he scored just high enough to be designated a
sharpshooter. His next actions speak to his wild tendencies. He was punished after he shot
himself in the elbow with a pistol he was not supposed to have. He then tried to fight the sergeant
he thought was responsible for his punishment. While stationed in the Philippines, he wildly shot
into the jungle because he claimed he was seeing things. As he grew more disconnected, he and
his mother devised a way to get him home. His mother claimed she needed his help, and he was
sent home. Days after coming home, he left a note stating he was leaving for Russia. When he
got there, he tried to gain citizenship. When he was denied, he slit his wrist. He soon denounced
his US citizenship and was granted citizenship under the careful watch of the KGB. No marine
had ever defected to the Soviet Union. Especially, during a time of great tension between the US
and the Soviet Union. The KGB moved him out of Moscow. He soon became popular with
2
locals. Likely, because of the allure of a US marine in Russia. He met his wife shortly after and
they had their first child.
Despite having the popularity he sought, he grew bored with life in Russia. He began
contacting the US embassy in hopes of going back home. After a delay, his request was granted
and he returned. To his disappointment, the media didn’t cover it very extensively. He had no
diploma, a failed military career, and a family to provide for. He grew more aggressive, and
would beat his wife often. He still want to have an impact on the world, somehow. While in the
military he would attempt to prove his knowledge of foreign policies to the higher-ups. He
sought to become somewhat of a political activist. When this didn’t gain momentum, he took a
different approach. He purchased a high powered rifle and a small pistol. Months before JFK’s
death, he had attempted to assassinate Edwin Walker. Walker was a former general and a rising
